Shoe-form.



N0. 877,980f PATENTED FEB. 4, 1908.

c. A. BATGHBLDER. SHOE FORM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, 1906.

EMQLMMWA rm: Numws ps-rsns co., WASHINGYUN, 04 c4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. BATCHELDER, OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO 0. A. MILLER TREEING MACHINE COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

SHOE-FORM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLEs A. BATCH- ELDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Shoe Forms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to forms, followers, and lasts, herein referred to as shoe forms or forms, which are employed for deter* mining, preserving, or restoring the shapes of boots and shoes, and particularly to that class of shoe forms which are made in two parts so connected that they may be relatively moved for changing the shape and dimensions of the form to enable it to be easily inserted into or withdrawn from a shoe.

The invention is herein shown as embodied in a shoe form of a style and shape adapted for use with. low-cut or Oxford shoes, the upper portion of the form which is exposed through the top of the shoe presenting to view only unbroken surfaces; but the invention is, of course, not limited in this respect. One feature of the invention consists in a shoe form comprising a forepart and a heelpart movably connected and shaped at their adjacent faces to present a recess, the heelpart being provided with a portion which is adapted to support the instep of a shoe when the form is in normal position in the shoe and which is received into the recess when the parts of the form are moved from their normal relative positions, or collapsed, to permit the withdrawal of the form from a shoe or its ready insertion into a shoe.

Preferably the forepart and heel part are arranged for relative movement about a pivotal point located in the rear of the instepsupporting portion of the heel part whereby a movement of the heelpart for collapsing the form displaces the instep-supporting portion of the heelpart downwardly into the recess while the counter-engaging surface of the heelpart is displaced upwardly and forwardly to shorten the form. One advantage obtained by locating the pivotal point in the rear of the instep-supporting surface of the heel part is that a form which is inside a shoe may be collapsed by a movement which does not carry the instep-supporting portion outside the bounds of the upper. This enables the form to be collapsed'and removed from the shoe without stretching the shoe to any greater extent than it was extended when the form was in its normal position.

It will, therefore, be understood that a feature of this invention consists in a shoe form having a forepart pivotally connected with a heelpart which is provided with an instep-supporting portionand is constructed and arranged with reference to the pivotal connection so that the instep supporting portion will be carrried downwardly when the form is collapsed without being projected against or through the upper of the shoe.

Another advantage for the constructions of shoe form above outlined is that when the form is in collapsed position the instep-supporting surface is within the bounds of the normal outline of the form and so presents no obstruction to the ready insertion of the form into a shoe.

In the embodiment of the invention herein shown the pivotal connection is so located with relation to the instep-supporting portion of the heelpart that said instep-supporting portion is retracted a short distance from the upper as it is moved into the recess between the parts.

A further feature of the invention, therefore, consists in a shoe form in which a heelpart having an instep-supporting portion is movable to present a clearance between said instep-supporting portion and the upper when the form is collapsed while in the shoe. It follows from this arrangement that the instep-supporting surface of the heelpart will be carried outwardly and upwardly against the upper of the shoe in a direction to extend or stretch the instep portion of the shoe when the heelpart is moved downwardly toward its normal position in a shoe. This provision of a shoe form in which the heelpart is provided with an instep-supporting portion movable upwardly against the instep of the shoe for extending or stretching the shoe is a further important feature of the invention. It is found in practice that by lacing or otherwise securing the sides of the shoe upper more or less closely before the form is inserted the shoe may be extended or stretched through the instep portion to any desired extent. By this means a shoe which its tightly over the instep of the wearer may be stretched and also shoes may be made to retain their proper shape through the instep and shank portions by the use of a shoe form embodying this feature of the invention.

Other features of the invention, including tions' of parts, will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

For the purpose of illustration the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings as embodied in a preferred construction of shoe form, but the particular construction of the form, except as defined in the claims, is not essential and the application of the invention to lasts and followers will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which this inven tion relates.

Figure 1 shows a shoe form and in outline illustrates a shoe into which the form has been inserted. The heelpartis shown in dotted lines in the position which it assumes when the form is collapsed for insertion into or removal from a shoe. Fig. 2 shows a shoe form having parts of slightly different shape and in which the instep-supporting surface of the forepart is extended upwardly along a portion of the recess 6! as illustrated at g. It is obvious that by varying the shape of the parts the instep-supporting surface of the forepart may be extended more orless toward the instep-supporting surface of the heelpart.

. The form comprises a forepart a and a heelpart I) connected by a hinge c. The adjacent faces of the forepart and heelpart are cut away to form a recess d and the heelpart is provided with a forwardly extending portionf having a surface f adapted to engage and support the upper portion of the instep of the shoe. The forepart a has a surface g for engaging and supporting the lower part of the instep portion of the shoe. The heelpart may be provided with a handle h by means of which to engage it in handling and manipulating the shoe form. The hinge c is preferably located in the rear of the instep-supporting surface f of the heelpart and in such relation to said surface f that when the heelpart is turned about the hinge to collapse the form the surface will move downwardly into the recess (1 without being projected forwardly beyond the normal contour of the shoe form. This enables the form to be collapsed for the purpose of withdrawing it from a shoe without stretching or straining the shoe at the instep and without the necessity of unlacing the shoe, as would be required if the surface f were projected forwardly against the upper or through the lace opening of the shoe in the collapsing movement. The movement of the heel part about the pivotal point 0 also carries the c0unter-engaging surface of the heelpart forwardly as Well as upwardly, whereby the form is shortened to facilitate its withdrawal from the shoe. It is to be observed that when the form shown in the drawings is collapsed the heelpart occupies the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1 with the instep-support- I ing portion f in the recess (Z. When the form certain detalls of construction and combinathus collapsed is inserted into the forepart of a shoe the face f occupies a position somewhat back of and spaced away from the inste portion of the shoe upper. -When the hee part is now turned downwardly and backwardly into the full-line position the instepsupporting portion f is carried upwardly and outwardly with relation to the upper so that the portion of the upper acted upon by it is extended or stretched and drawn tautly about the form. By drawing the sides of the upper more or less closely together, as by the lacing Z, the shoe may be stretched through the instep portion, or it may be merely forced into its original shape after having been distorted by use.

In using the form herein shown as en1bodying the invention the heelpart is turned into the position relative to the forepart which is illustrated indotted lines in Fig. 1 and the forepart is thrust into the forepart of the shoe. The heelpart is then depressed toward the full-line position and in this movement the instep-supporting portion f of the heelpart is moved upwardly and outwardly with relation to the instep portion of the shoe to force the upper into its normal shape over the instep and about the shank of the form.

When the form is to be removed from a shoe the heelpart is moved from the full-line position shown in Fig. 1 to the dotted-line position, thus carrying the instep supporting surface f downwardly and away from the instep portion of the shoe and giving ample clearance between the instep of the shoe and the form. The rear or counter engaging portion of the heelpart is at the same time moved forwardly as it is carried upwardly, thus shortening the form to produce clearance at the rear end thereof, afterwhich it may be easily pulled backwardly and upwardly out of the shoe. I

Having explained the nature of my invention and described one embodiment thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. A shoe form presenting a continuous or the heelpart is turned about said pivotal con nection for collapsing the form.

2. A shoe form comprising a forepart, and a heelpart provided with an instep-supporting portion and arranged for movement with relation to the forepart to extend the instep portion of the shoe on the form when said parts are relatively moved toward their normal position.

3. A shoe form comprising a forepart, a heelpart provided with an instep-supporting surface, and a movable connection between the forepart and the heelpart located with. relation to the instep-supporting surface to cause said surface to be carried outwardly with relation to the instep of a shoe on the form when the heelpart is moved toward its normal position with relation to the forepart.

l. A shoe form comprising a forepart, a heelpart provided with an instep-supporting surface and formed with relation to the fore part to provide a recess between the adjacent faces of said parts, and a movable connection between the forepart and the heelpart so located with relation to said instep-support. ing portion of the heelpart that the instepsupporting portion will move into said recess when the form is collapsed.

5. A shoe form comprising a forepart, and a heelpart provided with an instep-supporting portion, combined with a pivotal connection between said parts so located with relation to said instep-supporting portion as to allow said portion to move downwardly and forwardly for collapsing the form without being projected beyond the contour of the shoe on the form.

6. A shoe form comprising a forepart, and a heelpart provided with an instep-supporting surface, said parts being connected at a single pivotal point located in the rear of the instep-supporting surface of the heelpart whereby the form is shortened rapidly when the parts are moved relatively.

7. A shoe form comprising a forepart, and a heelpart provided with an instepsupporting surface, and arranged for movement relatively to the forepart in a direction to carry the instep-supporting surface of the heelpart away from the instep of the upper of a shoe on the form to give clearance when the form is collapsed in a shoe.

8. A shoe form comprising a forepart, and a heelpart provided with an instep-support ing surface, and shaped with relation to the forepart' to present a recess into which the instep-supporting portion of the heelpart may be moved to collapse the form, and a hinge connecting said parts and located in the rear of the instep-supporting surface of the heelpart whereby said surface is carried away from the instep of the shoe when the form is collapsed in a shoe.

9. A shoe form comprising a forepart, and a heelpart each provided with an instep-supporting portion and arranged for relative movement to carry the instep-supporting portion of the heelpart downwardly into a position at the rear of the instep-supporting portion of the forepart when the form is collapsed.

10. A shoe form comprising a forepart and a heelpart hinged together and formed with. a recess between their adjacent faces shaped to permit of pivotal movement of said parts toward one another for collapsing the form, said parts being each provided with an instep-supporting portion and arranged for movement on said hinge to carry the instepsupporting portion of the heelpart downwardly into the recess in the rear of the instep-supporting portion of the forepart.

11. A shoe form presenting a continuous or unbroken top surface and comprising a heelpart having an instep-supporting surface, a forepart connected to the heelpart at a single pivotal point and having a recess in its side adjacent to the heelpart and formed to receive the instep-supporting por tion of the heelpart in the pivotal movement thereof to collapse the form.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES A. BATOI-IELDER.

Witnesses:

F. HANNIGAN, ARTHUR L. Russian 

